Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SIR,

To Sir G. E.

Kingston, Feb. 29, 1727.

IF you had written to me yourself, I should not have delayed an answer fo long as fince the time I received a letter from your fon Charles: by what I read therein, and hear from other hands, it appears how highly you refent fome unguarded expreffions of mine, in private converfation, which I am perfuaded have been mifreprefented to you. What the words were, as I cannot exactly remember, fo I am confident no one that heard them can take upon himself to repeat upon oath; but this I am fure of, they did not proceed from malice in my heart, nor were fpoken with defign to calumniate, falfly, any perfon living or dead: nor do I believe any one of the hearers (not he in particular that related them) did in the leaft fufpect or imagine any fuch thing. For this I appeal to every one then prefent.

If I had an opportunity of giving you a true and full information of the whole matter, in the prefence of the Reverend Mr. Watts, or the whole company in which I then was, I believe yourself would not think my offence deferves so many and fuch severe accufations and menaces as are in your fon's letter, God and my own confcience acquit

me of the guilt of malice and enmity, &c. which I am there charged with; and upon confultation with the learned in the law, I fear no ill confequence, as to myself, by any legal prosecution; which, however, for many reasons, very obvious to every body, Ithink ought not to be commenced nor threatened.

Though I cannot remember exactly the words Spoken, and never fhall make any confeffion of particular words faid to be spoken by me, nor own fuch guilt as I know myself to be (I had almost said perfectly) free from; yet, as I have at all times, when this matter hath been mentioned, readily acknowledged, fo I now in this manner own to you, I was in the wrong to say what I faid, because I impertinently talked about what did not concern me; and I am truly forry for what was faid, efpecially confidering how it hath been reprefented and refented; and fo far as you are, or can be juftly offended thereby, I very freely ask your pardon. I do moft fincerely with you and all yours profperity in this world, and eternal happiness in the next, and remain, Sir, your's in all good offices you will please to accept of,

D. M.

From

From Governor BELCHER to Dr. WATTS.

LETTER I.

REVEREND SIR,

Whitehall, Jan. 8, 1729-30.

I BELIEVE

you will find among your last year's New England letters, one that came by me from my esteemed friend the Reverend Mr. Colman; and I think fometime in April laft, I had the pleasure of waiting on you at my Lady Abney's, and afterwards of feeing you at Tunbridge, fince which I had promised myself the fatisfaction of a more particular personal acquaintance with Dr. Watts; but the fovereign God (in whose hands our times are) having lately confined you at Theobalds, and called me to an affair of life that ingroffes much of my time to be in readinefs to look homeward early in the fpring; I fay, these things have debarred me of that fatisfaction and happiness I have so much defired. In New England I have often regaled myself with your ingenious pieces, and I can affure you (without a compliment) all Dr. Watts's works are had in great esteem and honour amongst us. It was with uncommon concern I obferved your weak, tender ftate of health the laft Lord's-day, and although, as you very excellently fet forth to us, "That the

God of Nature can make new veffels, and the God of Grace can fill them with treasure: and, although the apoftle tells us we have this treasure in earthen veffels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, yet Chrift's minifters are the falt of the earth, and how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gofpel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. And when Chrift fills his veffels with precious treasure, and makes his minifters burning and fhining lights, God's people will forrow most of all to hear the ministers tell them, they fear they fhall fee their faces no more." But, I hope, it may ftand with the holy will of God to restore and confirm your health, that his church may have Dr. Watts long in ftore, ftill to go on, by the grace and assistance of your afcended Lord, in multiplying the fouls of your ministry to his honour and glory, and the eternal happiness of those whom you fhall turn from the error of their ways, and then thofe fons and daughters you have here begotten in Chrift, will ferve as fparkling jems to give luftre to that crown of righteoufnefs which God, the righteous judge, will fix on your head in the great day of his appearance. Amen. God grant it may be fo.

And now, Sir, fince it has pleased the all-wife God (in his providence) to remove me from one ordination of life to another, and to a station

where

where I must stand in a glaring light, expofed to the view of the whole world, and every one will think himself intitled to be my cenfor morum; to fubject my words and actions to his ill-natured cavils and criticifms: and, I am fenfible, great is the burthen and duty of the place with which the King has honoured me. I therefore defire you to join with me, while I bow my knees to the God of all grace and wisdom, that he would give me a wife and understanding heart, to discern between good and bad, and to know how to go out and in before his people. Every day fills my foul with care and folicitude, that I may difcharge my truft to the honour of God, the good of his people, and my own comfort and credit. When I confider how ungratefully and unprofitably I have lived to God and man, it is with fhame that I tell you, I am this day entered into the forty-ninth year of my age, My days are fwifter than a poft, and fhort (perhaps very fhort) the race I have to run; may I then double my diligence for the honour and fervice of God and man, and fo as may moft of all promote my own eternal happiness.

You will pardon me for the freedom I have taken with a gentleman, more a ftranger than I could wish, and believe me to be, with great esteem

and

« AnteriorContinuar »